The Beginning and the End
by redcandle
Summary: The slow beginning and the abrupt end of Andromeda Black's relationship with Ted Tonks.


Christmastime at Hogwarts was undeniably special, however Andromeda Black could do without the enchanted mistletoe that sprung up all over the castle. Over the years she had been forced to snog a little boy five years her junior, Professor Flitwick, and even her own sister Bellatrix, among many others. She exhaled loudly, irritated, as she turned to face the person behind her.

It was that blond boy in her year who played for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, Tonks. He had a cheerful, friendly look on his face, utterly dissimilar from the lecherous leer most of the boys wore when they found themselves under the mistletoe with her.

Andromeda gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Happy Christmas," she muttered, and hurried down the corridor.

"Happy Christmas," he called back brightly.

She forgot him instantly. She should have already packed, she was going to be late. She wished she could stay at Hogwarts over the holidays, but Narcissa would never forgive her. Her little sister actually liked all of the antiquated traditions that Andromeda found so boring. And to make it even worse, Aunt Walburga was hosting Christmas dinner this year...

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"You have a secret admirer," Melanie said. She was going through the stack of Valentine cards piled beside Andromeda's plate.

Andromeda added another sprinkle of black pepper to her eggs. "I have several of them." It was simply a matter of fact to her, she took no pride in it. She was considered a beautiful girl, therefore boys paid her attention and wanted hers in return.

"This one wrote you poetry."

"Is it any good?"

"He 'longs to descend this tower' and 'see you rise from below' to meet him in 'sweet embrace'."

Andromeda laughed. "He gave himself away. Siruis." She glanced across the great hall to where her young cousin Sirius sat at the Gryffindor table. "That little rascal."

"It could be some other Gryffindor, or a Ravenclaw."

"It's possible," she acknowledged. She wasn't particularly interested. "I wish he'd sent chocolate. A girl can never get enough chocolate."

The salt shaker was way down at the very end of the table, so Andromeda turned and asked a Ravenclaw if she could pass her the salt from their table. The girl handed her the salt shaker without pausing from her conversation with the blond boy beside her.

"I got a chocolate from Rabastan," Melanie said. There was no stack of Valentines for her. Even as her friend, Andromeda would be lying if she called Mel pretty. But Rabastan liked her anyhow, which rendered that one chocolate much more valuable than a dozen love notes from strangers.

"I'll trade you," Andromeda told her.

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There was an Easter egg on her desk. Andromeda looked around the dungeon classroom, trying to remember who'd already been in the room when she came in. She'd gone to the cupboard to get supplies for today's lesson before going to her desk. It could have been anyone.

She picked up the egg. It was a Honeydukes Easter special. She wanted to unwrap it and pop it into her mouth right away, but Cygnus and Druella Black had not raised a fool. She performed a series of counter-charms before judging the egg safe to eat. By then Professor Slughorn was at the front of the room, ready to begin, and there was no eating in class unless you'd brought enough for everyone.

Andromeda raised her hand. "Professor, I need a new partner. Amycus gave up, he's not coming back." Advanced Potions was the most difficult subject, although Arithmancy students would disagree, and few studied it to completion.

Slughorn was annoyed. "He ought to have informed me first," he grumbled. "No courtesy in that boy." He was their head of house. Amycus would find life a little more difficult now, but Andromeda couldn't feel sorry for the nasty little troll.

"Ted, you'll work with Andromeda from now on," Slughorn decreed.

Tonks, the blond Quidditch player, began gathering his things. One of his fellow Ravenclaws said something that made the other one laugh and had Ted blushing when he moved to her desk.

"Looks like it's me and you until N.E.W.T.s, Tonks," Andromeda said.

"Call me Ted, please." He reached for her hand.

She was so surprised; he'd shaken her hand before she could even react.

There was no time for superfluous conversation while they attempted to brew a batch of Wiggenweld potion, but after class had ended, Ted lingered behind with her. It was her turn to help Slughorn prepare the classroom for his next class, so while she worked, Andromeda theorized about everything they might have done wrong.

"No, we definitely added the lionfish spine," Ted said. "Listen, maybe I'll see you in Hogsmeade tomorrow?"

"I never miss a Hogsmeade weekend," Andromeda said.

"Great," Ted said. "See you!"

It was only after he'd left and she'd finished tidying the classroom that Andromeda realized who had left that chocolate egg on her desk.

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Thirty years later Andromeda Tonks was in a cleaning frenzy. Baby Teddy was - finally - sound asleep, and Andromeda felt compelled to tidy the house from top to bottom. Ted would have told her teasingly that the house iwas/i tidy, that it was itoo/i tidy if you asked him. But Ted was gone. So Andromeda cleaned.

She did it the muggle way, no magic. It felt more satisfying that way. She scrubbed the kitchen floor until the tiles gleamed sparkling white, and she re-organized the pantry. She took the sitting room carpet outside and beat it until not a speck of dust was left. She packed everything from Dora's room into boxes carefully, washed the walls and the floor, then decided the room needed a new coat of paint.

The master suite was last. Ted's things were still where he'd left them, down to the dirty socks he'd carelessly tossed behind the laundry hamper. It had been months since he'd been forced to flee for his life, and weeks since he'd lost his life. He was never coming back.

Andromeda went slowly. Each item brought a new memory to the surface. That ugly sweater from his aunt embroidered with giant mistletoe reminded her of their actual first kiss, that brief peck in the corridor she'd forgotten until now. A battered old book of poems reminded her of the anonymous Valentine he'd confessed to sending her Sixth Year.

The bag of chocolates she found in his sock drawer was too much. He had left a chocolate on her pillow at least once a week, from their honeymoon to the night before he left. Andromeda cried for the man who'd been her life. She'd given up her family for him, and never once had she regretted it. They'd built their own family, the two of them and their darling little Dora. But now her husband and her daughter had both been taken from her. How could she carry on?

Teddy's wails filled the house.

Andromeda hurried to him. She rocked him back to sleep, her heart breaking because Ted had never got to see their grandson. They should have been doting grandparents together. They were supposed to grow old together.

She kissed little Teddy. She had to carry on for his sake, but half her heart was gone and it would never be okay again.


End file.
